Wilder To Revise Remap

Governor Dislikes Senate's Proposal

RICHMOND — Gov. L. Douglas Wilder on Tuesday said he will revise a state Senate redistricting plan to add black majority voting districts, but he would not say where he would locate them.

One possibility advanced by civil rights groups and black legislators is to combine parts of Hampton and Newport News to create a district with just over 50 percent black population. That could lump Sen. Robert C. Scott, D-Newport News, in a district with Sen. Hunter B. Andrews, D-Hampton.

The Senate plan creates one new black majority district and keeps the two existing black majority districts. The new black district would stretch from Suffolk to Greensville and include the home of Sen. Elmon T. Gray, D-Sussex.

Wilder's comments came shortly before the House of Delegates and Senate gave final approval to each other's plans, which redraw political boundaries in line with the 1990 census. The Senate approved the House's redistricting plan on a largely partisan 24-12 vote Tuesday; the House voted 49-40 to approve the Senate's plan.

All seven members of the House Black Caucus - including Mary T. Christian, D-Hampton, and W. Henry Maxwell, D-Newport News - refused to vote on the Senate plan.

Caucus Chairman William P. Robinson Jr., D-Norfolk, said black delegates - and some white Democrats - wanted to vote against the Senate's plans to protest its lack of black majority election districts but refrained from doing so to avoid retaliation from the Senate. In both chambers, Republicans cast most of the dissenting votes.

The House and Senate plans are expected to reach Wilder's desk on Friday, after which he'll have seven days to act. If he amends or vetoes either plan, legislators will be called back to consider the changes.

American Civil Liberties Union Director R. Kent Willis said he will urge Wilder to create two new black districts in the Southside and increase the black population in Scott's district from 35 percent now to 50 percent.

``I suspect the governor will do what he can to maximize opportunities for minorities to win election in the state Senate,'' Robinson said. ``I think he will give strong consideration to the joinder of Hampton and Newport News.''

Andrews had little to say about Wilder's intentions. ``I have no idea what his excellency will do,'' Andrews said.

Scott is the only black legislator representing a white majority district. But other officials, including Wilder, said they have to consider whether a black candidate other than Scott could win in that district in case Scott decides to step down and run for Congress. Scott, who ran unsuccessfully against 1st District Republican Congressman Herbert H. Bateman in 1986, has not said if he's considering a bid this year.

Wilder said the Senate's plan is lacking because of poor leadership in the chamber, a shot at Sen. Joseph V. Gartlan Jr., chairman of the boundary-drawing committee and a frequent critic of the Wilder administration.

``He has his view of leadership and I have mine,'' Gartlan said.

Wilder said little about what he'll do with the House plan, which satisfied blacks by creating two new black majority districts but angered Republicans by lumping 15 incumbent Republicans into eight districts.

Wilder said his role of titular head of the state Democratic Party would not influence his deliberations over whether to amend the House plan to adjust what Republicans have called unprecedented gerrymandering.

In two cases, including one grouping Del. Harvey B. Morgan, R-Gloucester, and Del. Robert D. Orrock Sr., R-Caroline, in the same districts, GOP incumbents would avoid having to run against each other simply by shifting about 600 people from one district to another. Democrats in the legislature have refused to do that, however. Wilder said he would look at such cases.

Wilder said he also will look at a new black majority House district around Chesapeake, which includes a spur snaking between two other districts to the home of Del. V. Thomas Forehand Jr., D-Chesapeake, so that Forehand can run in the new district.

Some legislators said Wilder will use the redistricting process to get revenge with lawmakers, particularly senators, who spurned him and his budget amendments last week. But Wilder denied it, saying redistricting has ``nothing at all to do with the budget.''